Exhibits

The pieces in this exhibit are on loan from the Tepper Collection. Halina and Bob Tepper have been Tucson residents since 1971. Halina is a recognized talent in the creative arts, design and fabrication arena. Bob is her devoted husband and a retired salesman.

How the Owl Collection Began (from OWLS magazine, 1995)

Halina’s involvement with owls began in 1971 when she ordered four owl posters as a gift for a friend. However, the envelope in which she sent them came back three times stamped “Return to Sender.” One night she cut out the owls from the posters and glued them onto four small pieces of wood that she’d stained, and hung them on her wall. When her neighbor came for a chat and saw the little pictures she exclaimed, “You’re an owl collector!” That Christmas, she gave Halina two owl pins for a present. “They were so beautiful that I was afraid to wear them for fear of losing the rhinestones,” said Halina, who promptly mounted the pins. From then on, friends brought her anything they were going to throw out that had an owl on it. “I also wasn’t above buying the occasional, inexpensive owl if I spotted one I liked.”Today, the Tepper’s home is a museum devoted to other people’s artistic interpretations of the owl, along with many pieces of owl art Halina has created herself. To maintain records of all the pieces, each object receives an identification number. Halina admits she’s the best pack rat in the world and had to focus her collection. She chose to collect owls because she finds them absolutely fascinating. Her favorite collectible is owl salt and pepper shakers.